The Bacon Brothers Band came to my attention from two sources along different time frames. In the first instance, The Bacon Brothers appeared on a program called Live From Daryl’s House – a monthly live performance webcast that is taped from singer/songwriter Daryl Hall’s home. And yes, Kevin plays guitar and sings well along with his brother Michael.

The second instance that I became aware of the band came from a friend of mine in Florida, who saw The Bacon Brothers in concert. As we all know (or should know) Kevin Bacon is best known for his acting roles in “The Following,” “Footloose,” “Mystic River” and “Apollo 13,”. In all, Kevin has appeared in 80 films and has earned a Golden Globe with several Emmy and Screen Actor’s Guild nominations.

Brother Michael, took the musician and composer route to his younger brother’s acting career. Both hail from Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. Their gritty if not eclectic blend of original rock, folk, soul and country music is the real deal — and not merely a musician with an actor/brother “going through the motions”.

On March 18, 2016, Michael premiered a four-movement “Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra” in downtown Manhattan.

Kevin has starred in “Cop Car” and “Black Mass” with a theater turn in “Rear Window” at Hartford Stage in Connecticut.

Michael and Kevin were surrounded by music from an early age.

Two decades on, the band, formed in 1995, is a must-see for anyone who loves music. Lest anyone challenge Kevin’s Hollywood ties, The New Yorker stated, “Hollywood hangs like an albatross around the neck of any movie star turned musician, but this duo shakes off the burden of fame with sharply executed rock that has a blue-collar, rootsy edge.”

The Bacon Brothers Band is: Michael Bacon on vocals, guitar and cello; Kevin Bacon on vocals, guitar and percussion; Paul Guzzone on bass guitar and backing vocals; Joe Mennonna on keyboards and accordion; Ira Siegel on lead guitar, mandolin and backing vocals; and Frank Vilardi on drums.

If you get a chance, don’t miss them for a terrific evening of fun and music!

Last Friday afternoon, a patron walked into my office and asked if I’m a rock music aficionado. Unsure if he wanted to ask a trivia question, sell me some vintage vinyl, or maybe start a Styx cover band, I tentatively answered that I’m not an aficionado, but I’m generally familiar with rock and/or roll. He proceeded to tell me that he had recently heard a song on the radio that he liked and wanted to hear again, but he didn’t know the name of it and wasn’t sure how to go about finding it. He then hummed the song, which I will attempt to transcribe:

DA (pause) DA DA (pause) DA na na na DA DA

Aside from that piece of the melody, the only other thing he could tell me about the song is that it repeated the lyric “Hey Louise,” or something that sounds like that, multiple times . Nothing came immediately to mind, so I did some Googling of “Hey Louise” and found that there’s a Neil Diamond song with that exact title. I listened to it, and while it definitely contains the “Hey Louise” lyric, the rhythm is different, it’s in a different key than the patron’s humming, and it’s way too Neil Diamond-y (the patron made it sound like a heavy rock song with crunchy guitars, and that’s not how Diamond gets down). With me unable to deliver, the patron sought out and hummed the song for our Director, Steve, who pegged it as an ‘80s song that he was pretty certain made mention of dancing shoes, but he couldn’t come up with a title. At the time I left for the day, he was still thinking on it.

When I came in today, I asked Steve if he had been able to identify the song, and he said he hadn’t. I told our children’s librarian, Miranda, about it and hummed the song for her, and, as an ’80s music expert, she immediately identified it as “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins. The rhythm matched, and “Footloose” does have a lyric that starts “Please, Louise…” in its chorus. I was skeptical due to its lack of edgier rock factor, but everything else fell in place well enough to indicate she was most likely right on. She told Steve, and it turned out “Footloose” was the song he’d been thinking about (it is indeed an ‘80s dance song that mentions “Sunday shoes”). With us all in agreement, the mystery seemed to be solved. Now we just needed to tell the patron.

Fortunately, I spotted the patron in the library this morning and approached him to let him know we had a good idea about what the song is, but before I could triumphantly tell him, he said “I figured it out, it’s ‘Footloose.’” While I was slightly bummed that we didn’t get to be his answering heroes, I was glad he got the answer to his question, which is of course the most important thing. Also, we were right, which is the second most important thing.

What if this happens again? Sure, we were able to put our heads together and come up with an answer this time, but what if next time the song in question isn’t floating around in any of our heads? Surely, technology can help us out, right? I did some searching, and the answer is yes, of course it can. There’s a free app called SoundHound that can identify songs solely by analyzing your humming or singing. I tested it out by humming first the chorus (which is what the patron provided) and then, separately, the verse of “Footloose,” and it correctly identified the song both times. If you tap on the result, you’re given the option to listen to the song on Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, or iHeartRadio so that you can confirm it’s what you’re looking for. I think this is incredibly neat and should be a great way to find song titles when you don’t know any lyrics to search for or you’re unable to Shazam it. I encourage you to try it out, but if you’d prefer some sonic reference from your friendly neighborhood library, you’re always welcome to come in and hum for us.

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Mon, 14 Nov 2016 18:01:07 +0000Mom Of Two Little Girlshttps://momoftwolittlegirls.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/our-time-to-dance/Yes, a shameless quote from the iconic movie – Footloose. #iloveKevinBacon as well as an extract from Ecclesiastes.

Now I’m am not the most religious of people, I have my faith but I normally keep it to myself, and a lot of the time I rely on my own moral compass to steer me in the right direction. Nevertheless, events have been building around us in our little family life in recent weeks.

Today I contemplated pulling my girls out of one of their numerous end of year concerts. Why? Because SOME of the adults & parents attending are not people we socialize with and are actually people we go to great lengths to avoid in social environments, for many reasons.

Then we contemplated not checking on a close family member post major op, because we knew that another estranged family member was with him.

I felt like a wave washed over me, a wave of enlightenment (or maybe that’s just the wine talking) but I am so sick of tip-toeing around other people! Why?!

So I think I shocked my husband. I told him (I never actually ‘TELL’ him anything) two things:

1: that the girls will be attending their concert. Why should they miss out on something they have been working on for the last few months because of adult politics? It’s not fair on them or their teacher.

2. He will make the check-up call he was itching to make and screw whoever may be hovering around in the background!

What’s the point of my rant today – Don’t allow circumstances, or other people to stop you from doing what’s right! Even though it may be hard for you, or awkward, or down-right uncomfortable, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Nothing worth having comes easy.

Dance if you want to dance; call if you want to call; go if you want to go; stay if you want to stay! Just remember, there are consequences of your actions, as well as your inactions!

Result: my kids will be happy no matter how awkward it is for me, and my husband is happy he connected with the family who matter, and he is satisfied.

I guess it all depends on what you want, and having the courage to do what you believe is right!

All pics borrowed from Pinterest!

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Sat, 12 Nov 2016 04:40:39 +0000kelseykendallgetsliteraturehttps://kelseykendallgetsliterature.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/review-footloose/An 80s classic, this is one of my favorite movies. The soundtrack and the themes presented in “Footloose” are riveting, thought-provoking and simply marvelous. While I still believe the acting in the 80s as opposed to acting now differs quite a bit- I feel like there’s a different presentation of some emotions- I still feel like this cast handled some dramatic ideas with finesse and grace.

First about the the soundtrack; I’ve heard so many covers and remixes of many of the songs that it is nice to hear it all in its original glory. I honestly want to download all the music, plug in my headphones and go take on the world (or take over it depending on the day). Very powerful and driven, much like the characters.

Themes of growing up, standing together and even questioning religion all come into play in this movie. Every character goes through an emotional journey- even the side characters. Ren begins to become less angry and more of a leader. Ariel grows up by leaving Chuck and repairing her relationship with her father, who by the way, does his part in restoring that relationship and learning to progress. Chuck is the only static character, but he gets his butt kick in the end so all is good.

Ren becomes a leader by helping the high school seniors in a small town band together to give themselves a dance. More than that, it shows the power in numbers and passion. Everyone wanted to break away from the suffocating rules put in place by the adults of the town, but nothing happened beyond listening to contraband music in parking lots until Ren spearheaded a movement questioning authority.

Probably the most fascinating theme, at least in my humble opinion, is the reach of religion in a small community. The rules banning dancing came from the spiritual leader of the town who told everyone dancing and non-Christian music was corrupting and turning the youth to sin. This message started to take hold of all facets of life in the town, eventually leading up to a book burning at the school. This movie really brings up the question of how much influence should and can have. This small town was cult-like in its following of the pastor’s values until he changes his mind. I still feel like the town is a bunch of sheeple when it comes to the pastor.

I had seen ads for this show when I first got into Once Upon a Time and since they were both on ABC I mistakenly thought they were connected further. I never watched it while it was on television and that seems to have been a trend because it was canceled after two seasons. What attracted me to it when I saw it show up on Netflix is Timothy Odmundson of Psych and Supernatural fame. While he may not be a big star to you, he is an actor that I am always glad to see. The show is a musical adventure following a knight down on his luck and trying to regain his former glory and take out the king who stole his lady love away. Every episode is a mini-musical with plenty of comedy and the lyrics kind of stray into the adult territory. The show definitely does not take itself seriously and while it seems dumb a lot of the time, it is very charming. Legendary composer Alan Menken does all of the music and Tangled lyricist Glenn Slater does all of the lyrics. The songs are all great and the choreography is often simple but really fun. The strength of the show is Omundson as weak-willed King Richard but we also get a brilliant Mallory Jansen as Madalena, Galavant’s now ex-girlfriend. The rest of the cast is absolutely on point and we actually get a great performance out of Vinnie Jones and a guest spot from Weird Al. I definitely recommend this and so do the critics since both seasons got 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again

I know that this movie was walking on some sacred ground for a lot of people. While I was not part of the initial craze (I was too young), I definitely picked this movie up later in life. I own the movie on DVD but it is obviously not the same experience as seeing it in theaters. There is no way that this movie could ever live up to the original experience of seeing the original movie with its iconic performances and otherworldly weirdness. Frankly, these days we have become much more accepting of LGBTQ issues and there is no way this movie could shock and delight like the original. Of course, this was created as a television event to pay tribute to the original and that was so clear while watching this. For instance, they added a framing device of the movie being shown at a theater in the style of the famous midnight showings. There are so many little winks and nods to the original series that I could not help but smile a bit at the homage. I really liked the new performances at least from a vocal performance point of view. Beyond the singing, the performances are more like a high school performance of Rocky Horror but whatever. Of course, most people praise Laverne Cox’ performance and rightfully so. She is absolutely electric. Overall, it is a little too sanitized and too slick but I still found it fun. The only thing they improved from the original is that the cast is more diverse. I recommend it for those looking for a fun little movie but are alright with a little remake.

Footloose

This is one of those movies that I had not seen but I feel like I knew what it was about. The widely known premise seemed strange to me. A town that outlaws dancing sounds more like a fairytale than a famous movie from the 1980s. I have been curious to actually watch it since it was mentioned heavily in Guardians of the Galaxy. I had only seen the one big famous solo Kevin Bacon scene. The movie is weird because immediately the town that Kevin Bacon has moved is full of assholes. I hesitated to use that word but that is what they are. The adults are all very pissy about music and anything rebellious or different being shunned. The kids are very brazen about indulging in everything that their parents have banned. They make a big deal of comparing Kevin Bacon to David Bowie and I have to admit he has the hair and the build down if not the spectacular voice. Of course, the highlight of the movie is the music. There are some great eighties standards but there was surprisingly a little bit of metal. None of the characters except for Kevin Bacon and Chris Penn are likable. John Lithgow is not supposed to be likable and he is a very welcome break from the teen drama. I would not recommend it and you should just listen to the soundtrack.

Weekly Update:
– This week’s theme is “The Power of Music”
– I started watching Lucifer Season 2
– I started watching Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 2
– I continued watching Once Upon a Time Season 6
– I started Dark Matter Season 2
– I continued watching The Get Down

Whenever you read (or such) something here, feel free to understand that there’s a reasonable chance that I’m wearing these (or future versions of such), if that helps.

And yes, the post title is a dreadful reference to the popular 80s film titled “Footloose” — and only imagination contains yours truly performing that epic dance routine in my stylish new footwear, because intentionally flipping my now 45-year-old body in any direction is unwise.

And while I would have no problem buying these openly without shame, I extend my sincere thanks to one of my best friends — for she is wonderfully responsible for this podiatry.

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Wed, 09 Nov 2016 07:31:44 +0000Mark Colehttps://rivetsontheposter.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-blob-1988/This is that rare exception, the sequel that is often hailed as being better than the original.

Mind you, despite its popularity – and iconic status – the original version wasn’t one of the better films of the fifties Sci Fi boom. On the whole it is a nicely minor film with a few memorable moments.

The remake is clearly a product of the Eighties, and wears its closet-full of influences with pride. It is the blob by way of John Carpenter’s The Thing, with more than a touch of the hysteria, government conspiracies and paranoia of The Crazies (1973), with a Footloose teen bad-boy hero who probably would have been played by Kevin Bacon if they could have got him. And, of course, it all starts with that familiar sequence introducing us to Spielbergian small town America.

This is not your father’s blob, either. We get plenty of shots of it throwing out psuedopods and tentacles, thrusting itself up into volcano-like shapes or crawling across ceilings. There is a grotesque energy to many of the scenes – as when a restaurant worker gets pulled down a drain – that reflects the era of handcrafted ickiness introduced by Alien, The Thing and The Fly, back in the heyday of movie gore. Don’t expect any modern CGI alien to have the same impact.

Perhaps the most interesting development here is that the blob itself has acquired a new origin, one which ties it in more closely to George Romero than to Jack H. Harris.

On the whole, this was one of the better SF horrors of the Eighties, even if it hasn’t quite the luster of some of the better known films. There’s been talk, off and on, for years now of a new remake, but one does have to wonder why.

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Sat, 05 Nov 2016 06:35:39 +0000Timhttps://slouchingtowardsthatcham.com/2016/11/05/saturday-songs-20-holding-out-for-a-hero-bonnie-tyler/I often talk about how the 1980s was the definitive decade for great movie soundtracks and Footloose is a prime example. The album gave us Kenny Loggins’ title track, Deniece Williams’ Let’s Hear It for the Boy and this week’s Saturday song, Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero.

Written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford and reusing the instrumental break from an earlier Steinman song, Stark Raving Love, this is a thumping rock track which marries perfectly with Tyler’s husky, rasping vocal.

Holding Out for a Hero was the Welsh singer’s fourth and last top five UK single, and her biggest-selling song after 1983’s chart-topping Total Eclipse of the Heart. It peaked at number two here (after barely scraping into the top 100 on its initial release) and number 34 in the US.

The song was also used as the theme music for the short-lived 1984/85 TV action series Cover Up. The version used for the show was recorded by Elizabeth Daily, perhaps best known for appearing opposite Lisa Kudrow in an episode of Friends titled The One With Phoebe’s Ex-Singing Partner.

More notably the series, which has long since faded into obscurity except in the memories of the most ardent 1980s TV fanatics (yay, me), is most remembered for the accidental suicide of its male lead, Jon-Erik Hexum. While playing around during a break in filming, the actor placed a prop gun against his head and pulled the trigger, firing the wadding from the blank cartridge in the chamber into his skull. This resulted in massive and ultimately fatal hemorrhaging.

Hexum filmed just seven episodes of the show before his untimely death. He was replaced by Australian Antony Hamilton but the series was nonetheless cancelled after a single season.

The lyrics of the show’s signature song urge audiences to kick off their Sunday shoes and cut loose so what better way to start the week than by spending Monday evening at Milton Keynes Theatre, dancing in my seat?

Based on the classic 1984 film, the narrative stars Chicago native Ren McCormack who is forced to move to the sleepy Southern town of Bomont with his mother, Ethel, after his father abandons them. Unfortunately, Bomont does not have much to offer in the way of fun since a bylaw banning dancing and rock music was pushed through by the town’s grieving Reverend five years ago.

The Rev lost his son in a tragic car accident following a high school dance. The crash killed three other young people as well, devastating the townsfolk. So the logic behind dancing being illegal is ludicrous but well-meaning. Nonetheless, in his efforts to keep his daughter, Ariel, and the rest of the town safe, this petrified preacher has managed to curtail any chance of them ever enjoying themselves. Ren becomes an unlikely hero when he decides to persuade the council to overrule the ban by inspiring everyone to dance and enjoy life again.

Footloose is full of fabulous characters and great individual performances. Still, a scene-stealer in this production is definitely Gareth Gates as the slow-witted country cowboy, Willard, who becomes Ren’s best buddy. Gates plays the role for laughs without being insensitive to his character’s special needs – he manages to be both endearing and entertaining. His facial expressions alone are excellent; he has great comic timing; and his big song Mama Says is brilliant. Gates is a deserving crowd-pleaser all the way through the show and has an appealing rapport with all of the actor-musicians he interacts with.

Considering the fact that they populate a small town where they are absolutely not allowed to dance, all of the residents of Bomont certainly know how to cut loose and move their bodies to music!

Music surrounds the characters in this take on the original film. Dancing may well be illegal but musical instruments pervade every part of life in Bomont – the cool kids zealously jam together at school, church services are accompanied by divine piano tunes, social venues draw in the crowds with energetic rhythms. This means that the musical numbers are incredibly well integrated into this show as the actors on the stage also double up as the orchestra. Consequently, the talented cast members are not only acting and singing with gusto, they are also dancing flat-out while simultaneously playing instruments live. This impressive multi-tasking is no doubt exhausting for them but extremely effective in keeping the musical grounded, real and very human.

The dancing throughout is exciting, enjoyable and executed with a strong feeling of spirited spontaneity to keep it from being slick in a false way. Back flips, cartwheels and even jump-rope skipping tricks are all thrown in to the mix as the teens cut loose in typical spur-of-the-moment fashion. Ren is the ringleader when it comes to not being able to resist breaking the rules and busting a few moves. His reckless abandon in the boisterous number I Can’t Stand Still quickly galvanises the town’s young people. In short, Luke Baker is a total rock star as Ren, a juvenile for whom dancing is as natural as breathing! Later, the choreography for Somebody’s Eyes is charming and clever as the girls warn Ren of the dangers of small-town life and try to curb his devotion to dancing while not quite bopping away themselves. Inspired by pedestrian actions, the routine shies away from dancing proper while keeping them constantly moving to the beat.

On the few occasions when they are not tearing up the stage with exuberant song and dance numbers or playing for laughs, the cast deliver engaging, emotive performances exploring serious issues including divorce, assault, oppression and death. Importantly, besides a little bit of over-exaggerated shrieking early on, all of the vocals are clear and the actors achieve and maintain well-balanced accents.

I always find myself entranced by musical arrangements that unite individual characters through a shared sentiment so the beautifully harmonised Learning To Be Silent – when the three female leads Ariel (Hannah Price), the Reverend’s wife Vi (Maureen Nolan) and Ethel (Nicky Swift) all lament how no one ever truly listens to them – appealed to me. Equally, the passages of dialogue between Ren (Luke Baker) and Reverend Shaw (David J. Higgins) – a son without a father and a father without a son – possess dramatic tension and touching sincerity.

An equally entrancing aspect of the theatre is use of a remarkable set and Footloose does not disappoint on that front either. A versatile turn-around design is seamlessly incorporated into the onstage action, transporting us from one scene to another. The addition of a wind machine makes the phenomenal rendition of Holding Out For A Hero (which gives us the girls strutting their stuff on a car bonnet and Gareth Gates as you have never seen him before) a-ma-zing.

The characters in Footloose all manage to find the song in their heart, the beat in their feet and a realisation that some sort of paradise can exist here on earth. Ren and his newfound friends show that having a passion for life as we live it is always possible if we just seize the day and enjoy a bit of singing and dancing along the way. This is a timeless, feel-good musical that will have you itching to be up on your feet boogieing by the finale.

Dancing is not a crime but missing out on the toe-tapping fun of Footloose certainly would be!

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Fri, 14 Oct 2016 01:58:08 +0000myfilmbabblehttps://myfilmbabble.wordpress.com/2016/10/14/dig-a-way-down-in-your-heart-a-footloose-review/Footloose, a music-driven film, is about a Midwestern town that has a strange law: dancing is illegal. Ren McCormack, who recently moved to this small town, is stunned when he hears this news. Something he loves, music and dance, now banned from his life. His time in this town starts off rocky, but from the first day, he meets Willard and Ariel, two people that will help him change this town. Ren, along with the other characters have a dance off in town late one night, and the Ariel’s father, a Reverend, and strict enforcer of the law, catches them, and that provides the inciting incident. From that moment on, he’s determined to change this conservative town, and show them that music and dance is not a sin, and that it can actually be a positive thing. But is he able to introduce dancing and music back into the town? And if he does, how will they be affected, or divided?

This film takes on a few genres: musical, drama, and teen. This film is strongly based on music, obviously with the theme and the story question. It fits into the background musical category, with music being needed to understand the story. There’s one scene in particular that I found fascinating with how music played a part, was this scene in the mechanic shop, where Ren is dancing, and being very dramatic about the town not allowing music, and he’s being very expressive, and without music playing, the scene wouldn’t be as dramatic. And as you know, without the music, there wouldn’t a storyline.
But also, along with being a musical, it also fits into the theme of drama and teen, since it’s aimed at a younger age demographic, and the ideas and plots have more of a problematic drama feel. The story is simply to entertain, but also to show how determination for change can be brought about in a positive way, and make a good change. I personally believe this film was worthy of award recognition. The original film, in 1984, was so loved that they had a remake, that is just as worthy of recognition, in 2011.
This film is very much plot driven. The whole film is about bringing music back to a town where it is banished, creating a dynamic and intriguing storyline. The characters play a huge part, by having Ren as the romantic hero has he is put to the test of trying to bring back dancing to the town. Ariel is a strong willed character that wants to defy her parents wishes, and teams up with Ren to bring something she loves back to life. Willard is the friend that you always wanted. He brings a comedic aspect to the film, along with a slightly innocent side, and rises to the cause to help those around.

I believe this film was a success because of the storyline being unique, and relatable to some. Whether or not you relate exactly, with wanting to change a law against dancing, we all have the desire to change something in life. And this movie gives you the motivation to step up, and fight for what you want, even though it’s not screaming that at you. It’s just a slight nudge of motivation.

This film was very entertaining, from the very beginning. The music provided was just the right amount, and was not too overbearing. The actors and actresses did a fantastic job at portraying the characters, and their roles. I would give it an A, and would highly recommend it to anyone that has an interest in musicals.

Footloose is about a high school senior, Ren (Kevin Bacon), who moves from the city to the little town where music and dancing have been banned after the death of four teens from the community. Ren’s fight against the law shakes up the entire town. The story question is will the town ever be able to dance and listen to music again? The author uses a combination of drama, romance, and music for this film. The music in the film is what makes the film good. Scenes such as the one where Ren (Kevin Bacon) is letting off steam in the abandoned warehouse is much more powerful with the added soundtrack. Or the music playing in the background when Ariel (Lori Singer) decides to jump from her friend’s car to the truck of Chuck. The story seeks to entertain but also provide a deeper meaning. The movie is a feel-good type with a happy ending but it also contains deep grief and loss. The movie is meant to teach you how grief can overtake you and how you must not let it. Grief is a hard thing but you must not let it stop you from living your life. Don’t let death make you afraid to live.

The director’s take on battling grief and the music producer’s take on the soundtrack makes this film worthy of recognition. While Ariel and Ren could possibly be considered dynamic, as they find “who they are” the real change is in the reverend, Shaw Moore (John Lithgow). He started out as a man who felt like the whole future of his community was on his shoulders. He thought banning music was protecting his daughter and the rest of the children. He thinks that if this would have been in place in the past, his son might still be alive. At the end of the movie, you see Rev. Shaw Moore start to see a glimmer of the future that can be filled with joy but also dance and music.

The author focused on the plot and also the idea throughout the film. The story brought about a meaning of moving on and not living inside one’s grief. It tells you that you cannot be afraid to live life just because of death. What really matters in the end is what you do with the time you have. Death is inevitable and we all have our time. It’s what we do with that time that matters. The story the movie tells shows through Ren’s fight that he wants to bring “life” back into the town. Bring back the happiness the community had before they suffered a major tragedy.

There was man vs. society conflict between Ren and the entire community. At first, Ren is only seen as different. He was a city slicker and the new kid in school who didn’t fit the mold. He had to fight the norms of society to bring back music and dance to the town. There is man vs. self conflict in many characters. Ren, fights with himself as he decides how to approach his cause. Ariel, fights with who she is after loosing her brother. The same for Rev. Shaw Moore. He has to fight the person he has become to move on.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie and think that is was strong in most aspects. The film could have probably been all audio and visual and the story still would have been told. This movie is suitable for teens and above. I would give it an A grade.

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Tue, 11 Oct 2016 19:04:32 +0000The Life of Lillyhttps://thelifeoflilly.com/2016/10/11/footloose-musical-review-blogtober-day-11/This weekend, I went to see the stage adaptation of Footloose. It’s one of my favourite films, the kind I cuddle up on the sofa with my mum and my sisters to watch, singing along and generally just adoring the whole thing. Possibly a little bit shameful, but I definitely prefer the 2011 version! Kenny Wormald was a big crush of mine for a little while…

So to sum up, I had big expectations and a high bar set for the theatre production. The Sell A Door Theatre Company have toured the U.K., and I went to one of the last stops, but you can still catch it in Sunderland and Milton Keynes. Before I went, someone told me that Gareth Gates was going to be in the show, which made me think it was going to be a bit rubbish, but surprisingly he was excellent. Obviously I need to let go of 2003 Gareth a bit.

‘Footloose’ is an amazing song, and my love for it filled me with excitement. We took a super excitable pre-show selfie:

The show had a bit of a slow start, and not everybody had completely cracked their accent, which was pretty distracting – for someone who didn’t know the story line already, I’m sure it would have been tricky, because I found it hard enough to follow despite knowing it pretty well.

After the interval, the show improved vastly. It picked up pace, and the characters had a chance to grow. The plot was also a lot clearer!

For the die-hard Gareth Gates fans: yes, you get to see a fair amount of him – he even takes his top off!

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Fri, 30 Sep 2016 04:06:06 +0000hitchyhttps://hitchwriter.wordpress.com/2016/09/30/welcome-to-the-mangrove/https://larnerholt.com/2016/09/26/wikipedia-plot-review-footloose/
Mon, 26 Sep 2016 08:25:45 +0000larnerholthttps://larnerholt.com/2016/09/26/wikipedia-plot-review-footloose/Footloose. The film that is almost entirely responsible for why Kevin Bacon is still doing adverts in 2016.

But what is Footloose? How many people have actually watched it, and how many just remember the song and the dancing and have forgotten the rest of it? Surely it’s time someone went back and reviewed the plot again?

“Ren McCormack, a teenager raised in Chicago, moves with his mother to the small town of Bomont to live with his aunt and uncle. Soon after arriving, Ren befriends Willard Hewitt, and from him learns the city council has banned dancing and rock music”

So far, so normal! Just a town that has banned dancing. NBD.

Quick question: what’s weirder here, that a town has banned dancing, or that his name is “Ren”?

“He soon begins to fall for a rebellious teenage girl named Ariel, who has an abusive boyfriend, Chuck Cranston, and a strict father, Shaw Moore, who is a reverend of the local church. After trading insults with Chuck, Ren is challenged to a game of chicken involving tractors.”

As you do.

“Despite having never driven one before, he wins.”

How much of a moron do you have to be to challenge someone to a game of chicken with tractors against someone who has never driven a tractor before and lose? If I’m challenging someone to a game of chicken using mother*cking tractors I’m sure as sh*t making sure I win.

“Rev. Moore distrusts Ren, and he grounds Ariel, forbidding her to see him.”

Yeah, Ren is dangerous. He dances. You’re better off with the guy who plays games with tractors (and loses).

“Ren and his classmates want to do away with the no dancing law and have a senior prom. He drives Ariel, Willard, and Ariel’s best friend, Rusty, to a country bar about 100 miles away from Bomont…”

100 miles!

Oh, also, the names of the characters are Ren, Ariel, Willard and Rusty. If I’m a studio exec I’m blacklisting the film based on that alone, before I’ve even found out it’s about a town that bans f*cking dancing.

“…to experience the joy and freedom of dancing, but once there, Willard is unable to dance. With a little help from Ren, he eventually catches on. Ren goes before the city council and reads several Bible verses to cite scriptural support for the worth of dancing to rejoice, exercise, or celebrate”

Is it just me, or does this sound like it’s written by a Japanese robot that has been poorly programmed to understand human behavior?

“Although Reverend Moore is moved, the council votes against him. Vi, Moore’s wife, is supportive of the movement and explains to Moore that he cannot be everyone’s father and that he is hardly being a father to Ariel. She also says that dancing and music are not the problem. Moore feels betrayed that even his wife does not believe in him even though she assures him that she always did.”

“Despite further discussion with Ren about his own family losses in comparison to Moore’s losses and Ariel’s opening up about her own sinful past, even going so far as to admit that she has had relations…”

NOT RELATIONS!

“…Moore cannot bring himself to change his stance because his son Bobby was killed in a car crash, resulting in banning music and dancing in the community.”

That’s a reasonable jump to make.

What did Bobby do, host a nightclub in his car?

“Soon, however, he has a change of heart after seeing some of the townsfolk burning books that they think are dangerous to the youth. Realizing the situation has gotten out of hand, Moore stops the burning.”

“I was just trying to stop children from dancing, I didn’t mean for people to make rash decisions!”

Seriously, that paragraph is in the top 5 most batsh*t crazy things I’ve ever seen. And that’s without even considering the use of “townsfolk” and “the youth”, as if this review was written in the 1930s.

“The following Sunday, Moore asks his congregation to pray for the high school students putting on the prom which is set up at a grain mill outside of the town limits. Shaw and Vi are seen outside, dancing for the first time in years.”

A grain mill! What’s wrong with a hall like a normal bunch of people? I don’t think dancing is the problem, it’s that you insist on people doing them in these incredibly dangerous locations.

That’s the ending. Problem solved, apparently. The reverend dances outside having seen the error of his ways while twelve children get stuck in the machinery of the grain mill and they get on with their lives.

What a strange f*cking film.

Check back in every Monday for the latest reviews. You can follow me on Twitter here.

]]>https://shellbenson.com/2016/09/21/a-time-to-dance/
Wed, 21 Sep 2016 22:19:29 +0000wordpowermediahttps://shellbenson.com/2016/09/21/a-time-to-dance/I love great speeches. I was in an 80s mood, so I decided to watch Footloose. I love the speech Kevin Bacon gave when trying to convince the city council to allow them to have the dance. Here is what he said.

From the oldest of times, people danced for a number of reasons. They danced in prayer or so that their crops would be plentiful or so their hunt would be good. And they danced to stay physically fit and show their community spirit. And they danced to celebrate. And that, that is the dancing that we’re talking about. Aren’t we told in Psalm 149: ‘Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song. Let them praise His name in the dance’?

…It was King David. King David, who we read about in Samuel, and, and what did David do? What did David do? What did David do? ‘David danced before the Lord with all his might, leaping, leaping and dancing before the Lord.’ Leaping and dancing! Ecclesiastes assures us that there is a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to laugh and a time to weep. A time to mourn and there is a time to dance. And there was a time for this law, but not anymore. See, this is our time to dance. It is our way of, of celebrating life. It’s the way it was in the beginning. It’s the way it’s always been. It’s the way it should be now.

There is so much to writing a great speech that will not be listed in this sitting. I am simply sharing what I gained from this speech and this tips can be applied to writing your own speech, especially if it is one such as this that is a controversial subject. Although, a controversial speech is much like any other speech, it must be approached delicately in order to avoid a riot at the end or, if it is harsh enough, in the middle of your speech.

Things you can learn from this speech

Dress for your message. This character is known for bucking the system and defying conventionality, but he wore his best suit and tie because he was speaking to a crowd of church people. Had he showed up in holy jeans and a T-shirt, he could have given the best speech in the world and they would not have listened.

Perceive what the crowd is thinking and address it.The first thing he did was approach their thought that “This is the way things always have been.” He showed them that it hasn’t always been that way. Remember, even though he was showing that what they believed wasn’t true, he approached it gently. He didn’t just get up there and say, “Y’all are wrong and here is why.”

LIST THE BENEFITS. He showed all of the beneficial reasons to dance. He listed things that everyone in that audience experienced: the need for prayer, physical fitness, community spirit, and celebration.

USE A SOURCE THAT THEY CONSIDER VALID. If you are going to talk to an ultraconservative crowd, don’t cite CNN as your source and if you are going to talk to an ultra liberal crowd, don’t cite Fox News. Even if you consider your sources credible doesn’t mean the crowd does. He was talking to a crowd of religious folks, so he quoted from the Bible. The source Christians consider to be the most valid of all. Know your crowd. This would not have been as effective if he were speaking to a crowd of atheists.

Try to win the leader of the group and you will win them all.

He appealed to the Pastor because he knew if he could win him over, he would win the whole crowd over.

TURN INFO FROM SOURCE INTO REAL LIFE. He took the info from the credible source and applied it to the situation at hand.

To me, this is a great speech and even though it’s fictional, I learned so much from it. Do you have any points to add that maybe I missed. I would love to hear it.

Always in Christ,

]]>https://fatandthefurioustunes.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/tuesday-night-vinyl/
Wed, 21 Sep 2016 01:15:15 +0000crazytigerrabbitmanhttps://fatandthefurioustunes.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/tuesday-night-vinyl/Mommy is working evenings this week so I’m pretty much on Dad Duty every night. Tonight we kept ourselves busy by cycling 42.6 kilometers (click HERE) to the Port Colborne YMCA for a well deserved cookie and then back home again.

Not bad for an 11-year-old, right?

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a meatball sub during an episode of Next Kids Food Network Star and now we’re listening to the latest acquisition to her growing record collection, the ‘Footloose‘ soundtrack.

Goodie.

Can’t you just see how excited I am?

Obviously, this is the popular soundtrack to the even more popular original movie released back in 1984, and not that other blasphemous piece of shit remake from 2011. Kudo’s to the kiddo for recognizing the difference between the two I guess.

Things could definitely have been much worse had she brought home that other one.

Anyway, when this album was released I was 12 years old and, yes, I had a copy on cassette and listened to it on the Walkman fixed to my hip just like good ‘ol Kevin Bacon on the album cover. In fact, my mom also had her own cassette and played it in the car pretty much nonstop for the next 3 years. So while I admit I did have an affinity for the soundtrack at one point, that was more or less beaten out of me over the next 36 months. I swear, it was like a religion to her and Kevin Bacon was her fluffy-haired pariah.

Of course, just about everyone on the planet adored the title track by Kenny Loggins which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. And so too did ‘Let’s Hear It for the Boy‘ by Denise Williams, and the saccharine-sweet barf-in-your mouth ‘Almost Paradise‘ duet between Mike Reno and Ann Wilson made the Top 10. Personally I think the high-octane drum solo on Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding Out for a Hero‘ is worthy of mention as well, especially when played against two dueling tractors in an epic rural showdown (click HERE for a little reminder).

Remember when that was classic cinema?

Let’s Hear it for the girl….

Gawd.

Anyway, the album itself reached #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and pretty much stayed there for the next two years.

Unfortunately – and I’m sorry to say this mom – but the sound and production of this album has dated badly…very badly. There is an over-reliance on synthesizers and drum machines that instantly announces that the record was made in 1984. HRH doesn’t mind though.

She loves her some Footloose.

Me?

I’d rather stick my pecker into the drive chain of my Trek 1000.

But who am I to refuse her victory celebration for completing her goal bike ride this week? It’s not like I was riding these kinds of distances at 11-years-old. Hells to the no! I was sitting on the couch at home watching G.I. Joe and eating Slim Jim’s. So, if putting up with a little 80’s cheese casserole is what I have to endure this evening as a result, then so be it.

The camps discussed so far on the podcast have all had at least one thing in common – an affiliation with the Jewish faith. Thankfully basketball blogger, author, and food writerLang Whitaker joins Judy and Micah to educate them on his childhood at Camp SPDL in Anniston, AL, a summer camp put on by his Atlanta-based Second-Ponce De Leon Baptist Church. What are the similarities? Differences? Listen in and find out:

You can probably already tell by the title of this blog post what it’s going to be about. You may already agree or disagree with this big opinion of mine, but either way, please hear what I have to say.

I’m not a fan of remakes. It’s really as simple as that. I think they’re a waste of time. I know Production Companies disagree with me though. And honestly, I understand why. Production Companies know that remaking a really popular film from about 20+ years ago will be an instant goldmine because audiences want to see classic films modernised. They like to see classic films re-told with an up to date cast, better special effects and even possibly a slightly different approach. However, I just think it’s a waste of film. Why not invest in a new idea, a fresh idea that no one has ever heard of before? Well the problem there is, what if this new idea falls flat? No one goes to see it? It will be a waste of money, so it’s safe to just remake a film everyone has already seen before because it will automatically be a hit…right? Wrong. What about Point Break (2015), The Wicker Man (2006), Psycho (1998), all highly unsuccessful remakes, with poor reviews and box office ratings. So…correction, remakes aren’t as safe as we all first thought. And that’s my argument.

However, this isn’t always the case.

Take The Karate Kid (2010) for example. The remake was successful. Very popular in fact. I HATED it. Maybe I’m bias because I’m a huge 80’s film fan, but, it was just a complete disaster in my eyes. The 1984 Karate Kid stands more than happily on it’s own. Just like Footloose. Why did they feel the need to remake that as well ? Why not invest in a new idea that yes, maybe a little risky, that could be a complete box office bomb or an absolute success instead of remaking a film that was perfectly fine in the first place! Again, The Footloose remake was actually quite successful with positive reviews from critics. However probably didn’t lie too comfortable with film fanatics like myself who, like me, hate having to use the word “original” to clarify their favourite films.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, Who cares? If it’s a good film and it entertains people then it’s doing it’s job. And I completely agree. But wheres the originality? Film making is to celebrate the creativity and originality of someones mind, it’s just a shame that so many remakes are being produced today, that there may not be enough room for some of the more indigenous. I can’t stress enough that I know it’s risky, investing in an idea that isn’t pre-sold, isn’t a remake and isn’t a book…but remember, great achievement takes great risk. The Back To The Future (1985) script was rejected 40 times from different production companies and studios, but it was finally accepted. And the company probably thought they were taking a risk investing in a script written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis that was completely out there, but…ended up being one of the most successful films of the 80’s. Proof that risks can and do pay off.

It’s just an opinion, but I prefer to see original content. Why would you wanna watch a film when you know what’s going to happen in the end? I can’t be the only one who feels this way. I can’t be the only one who is truly horrified when I hear rumours that they are remaking Dirty Dancing, The Goonies and Weird Science. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!? I’m just dreading the day they remake, Grease, Stand By Me, The Godfather or maybe even Back To The Future.

The original Psycho, the original Red Dawn and the original Annie were all successful films with an unnecessary remake. Remakes that may have done well in the cinema, may have a few positive reviews. But will NEVER live up to the originals. Which is why they are redundant.

So this is all I have left to say to the film industry.

Instead of REMAKING originals. MAKE originals.

Thank you for reading this blog post I hope you liked it. Maybe you agree with me or maybe you don’t, it would be great to hear what you have to say! So please do comment below and tell me what you think I am always so interested to hear other peoples opinions and views!

Where are my fellow ’80s children at? Kenny Loggins, who basically soundtracked the ’80s, has given new life to Footloose – a song that I will still unabashedly jump off and dance to whenever I hear it (usually to my eldest teen’s mortal terror) – for the little ones! He was inspired to rewrite the song into a fun story for his grandchildren; what we get is a fun rhyming story about what goes down after a zoo closes to the public for the evening.

First things first: Yes, I absolutely did find a karoake version of Footloose on YouTube and played it while I sang this book. In the privacy of my bedroom, sure, but I did it and it was fabulous! The song and story line up nicely, and if that’s your kind of thing, and you have an audience that may be receptive to it, print out a set of the lyrics for the parents and go for it.

This is a fun story for kids about party animals getting down after dark, with Zookeeper Big Jack witness to the whole business. There’s rhyming, there are great illustrations of animals swinging from trees, dancing a tango, and turning it loose – Footloose!

For me, this is a no-brainer add to my shelves – my storytimes include a lot of movement, my little ones love animal books, and I can easily read this, Eric Carle’s From Head to Toe, Lindsay Craig’s Dancing Feet, and Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance to get the kids up, moving, and laughing. If you have animal picture book fans, it’s a great addition to your collections. If you like to sing and dance with your little ones, be it in your own living room or the storytime area in your library, add this one. And if you want that karaoke link, here’s the backing track (just the music), and here’s one with the lyrics, in case you want to track how your reading goes compared to the pace of the song.

]]>https://dmarkblake.wordpress.com/2016/08/30/footloose-1oth-anniversary-aug-27-2016/
Tue, 30 Aug 2016 23:05:43 +0000teddyshermzhttps://dmarkblake.wordpress.com/2016/08/30/footloose-1oth-anniversary-aug-27-2016/After an island wide black out left many party goers like my self wondering if the nights events would be cancelled, it was a relief to know that Footloose: Another Premier Oldies party was still on.

Gates were to be opened at 10:00pm and by that time most of the corporate area had gotten back power and when I did I was straight out the door.

When I arrived a little after 1am, outside was packed with patrons scurrying to get inside. Tickets were $1000 presold and $1,200 at the gate with ladies being 2 for 1 before midnight.

Once inside, the venue was packed,with a bar in the middle and with 3 more strategically placed around the venue. Given the late start to the night we wasted no time and hit the bar, got our drinks and found a spot.

It was an energetic crowd filled with the grown and sexy, the old who wanna feel young again and a few misplaced young ones; you could spot them by their reaction as everyone threw up gun fingers while they stood still as the DJ’s slewed patrons with the old hits of the 70s-80s.

On the ones and two’s was DJ marvin who did well with juggling the old school dancehall and reggae hits while getting positive reactions from the crowd. Then he switched it up to some old school hip hop that i hadn’t heard since high school.

A guest aritst was set to perform and we soon found out it was no other than veteran DJ Merciless who drew himself a nice crowd at front stage with some lyrical fire that resonated with patrons along with some of his hits.

Soon after it was ZJ liquid who tore it up with some 90s hits and got the crowd in a dancing frenzy and of course the whining session for the ladies. There was even some pop music like “jitterbug” and “like a virgin”. The lies the these ladies tell lol.

So it was another successful staging of Footloose; 10 years and still going strong. It just goes to show;the good classics of music, whatever the genre, will never die.

Visit my instagram shermz_partyheart for clips from this and other parties.